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Breaking the wall of silence
Practitioners’ responses to trafficked children and young people

Trafficking is often hidden behind a wall of silence with children and young people on one side, afraid or unable to talk, and practitioners on the other, finding it hard to identify the child or young person, respond to their needs or prosecute their abusers.

This research provides an insight into how practitioners have worked with and sometimes overcome these problems while maintaining the child’s best interests.

The report presents findings from:

a review of international and UK literature on trafficking

focus groups and interviews with 72 experienced practitioners working with trafficked children and young people

analysis of 37 cases of children and young people, 27 who had been trafficked into the UK from abroad for various forms of exploitation and 10 UK citizens who were trafficked within the UK for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

This research was conducted by researchers at the University of Bedfordshire and the NSPCC and principally funded through The Children’s Charity.